Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Jubail Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Jubail

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,050 in Jubail.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,650 in Jubail.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,251 in Jubail.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than Jubail, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Jubail is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.48 SAR 24.31

100.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$40.19 SAR 151

32.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$9.29 SAR 34.84

4.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.39 SAR 12.71

10.62%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.83 SAR 3.10

89.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.26 SAR 0.97

334.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.77 SAR 6.65

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.98 SAR 3.68

176.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.63 SAR 6.11

15.34%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.52 SAR 9.44

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.20 SAR 30.76

22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.89 SAR 25.85

20.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$11.19 SAR 41.96

6.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.32 SAR 8.72

23.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.71 SAR 6.40

2.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.58 SAR 5.91

31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.43 SAR 5.37

37.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.12 SAR 4.20

92.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.30 SAR 4.86

67.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.38 SAR 5.17

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.64 SAR 2.39

75.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 SAR 9.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$7.02 SAR 26.33

-40.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.97 SAR 3.63

-59.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$25.13 SAR 94.2

-25.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$4.08 SAR 15.32

-65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.85 SAR 6.94

-83.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$17.01 SAR 63.8

-68.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.63 SAR 2.37

114.29%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$20.2K SAR 75.9K

-6.72%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$24.2K SAR 90.8K

-4.35%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.82 MX$714

$98.8 SAR 371

-58.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.50 MX$481

$31.97 SAR 120

-13.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$65.1 SAR 244

-53.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$88.0 SAR 330

-39.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$35.90 SAR 135

-26.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$13.89 SAR 52.1

-54.86%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,632

$202 SAR 759

115.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$8,378 SAR 31.4K

24.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$38.63 SAR 145

46.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$62.2 SAR 233

-27.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$83.4 SAR 313

23.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$79.4 SAR 298

35.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$403 SAR 1,513

147.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$277 SAR 1,039

123.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$655 SAR 2,456

226.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$505 SAR 1,892

144.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,522 SAR 9,458

53.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,316 SAR 4,934

77.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,602 SAR 6,008

-33.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.33

112.76%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jubail: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $403 in Jubail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Jubail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $191 per month, with Jubail cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Jubail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jubail the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Jubail earns 50% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $403 in Jubail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $1,050 in Jubail – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,050 in Jubail versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jubail but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Jubail the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jubail delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,050 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jubail hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Jubail are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.